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Cleaning up for Home Showings is Fun (Not!)
Since we’re selling our home, we’ve got a daily routine for cleaning up for home showings. This routine takes about an hour and consists of the following: all garbage removed, windows opened, cushions and linens fluffed up and sprayed with Febreze, toilets cleaned, counter tops and all surfaces wiped, floors swept, bath towels and all personal hygiene items tucked away, and all kitchen accouterments stashed out of sight except for a few decorative touches. The dish drainer, dish mat, towels, napkin holders, yucky every-day place mats, etc., all get tossed into a basket and placed in the garage. And that’s just for maintenance. Twice a week we do a deep clean.
This past Saturday morning we took our daily constitutional walk in Crooked Creek Park a little earlier than usual. A potential buyer for our home was scheduled for a showing and we left the house at 8:45. At the start of our walk, Mr. Groovy began bemoaning the fact that I insist on hiding his Lysol bathroom spray for showings (and for that matter, when anyone visits). I think most folks are smart enough to look for bathroom spray in the bottom cabinet if needed, and it’s disgusting to leave it out—especially, for a potential buyer. I realize potential buyers are not idiots and they know bathrooms are used for pooping, among other things. But do they need to be reminded of it? (What is it with us Groovies, anyway? Do we have poop affliction—between odors and dingleberries?)
Mr. Groovy thinks I’m crazy. Maybe he’s right.
In the midst of this discussion about poop, he blurted out, “Oh, happy anniversary, by the way.”
Yeah, happy anniversary to me.
Celebrating our Anniversary
Saturday was our Sweet Sixteen. Sixteen years of wedded bliss.
Mod Pizza
A few weeks ago, prior to listing our home, we agreed that if our house was under contract by the time our anniversary rolled around, we’d go to a nice restaurant for dinner. Otherwise, we’d go to Mod Pizza.
Mod Pizza, it was.
If you’re not familiar with Mod Pizza they’ve got a pretty cool concept. They offer three individual-sized pizzas priced at $5.97, $7.97, and $9.97. You can order one of several pre-chosen combinations, or create your own pizza. The price remains the same no matter how many meats, sauces, or toppings you choose. Mr. Groovy went for the Mad Dog which is a combo of pepperoni, sausage, and beef, while I created my own pizza with grilled chicken and roasted vegetables.
The one thing that takes getting used to at Mod Pizza is constantly hearing half a dozen staff members shouting “Helooooo” and “Goodbyyyyyyeee” to every customer entering and leaving. But the employees at Mod are nice kids, and the company does good community work, so I’m happy to put up with a little extra noise while I consume lots of salt and calories.
The Thirsty Beaver
Prior to our jaunt to Mod Pizza, we took a drive into Charlotte to check out a dive-bar called The Thirsty Beaver. Months ago we made our first attempt to go to the Beaver but it was closed. We’d gone too early in the day. FYI, whenever we try a dive-bar for the first time, we prefer going during the afternoon just in case the crowd is rough. This crowd was so meek that a few children were running around while their parents drank beer. One precocious little girl decided to hop up to the stool next to me and check out the zipper compartments of my purse. “What’s this?” she asked about the little pink bottle of hand sanitizer. Then she exclaimed, “Ooooh, lemme see your phone!” I was about to let her scroll through all the dog photos taken at Crooked Creek Park, but then her brother came to collect her.
Still, the Thirsty Beaver is indeed a dive-bar. Check out the lovely decor.
I hear it doesn’t take much provoking to get a gal to add her bra to the mix of ones already hanging from the rafters. (However, this gal was not subject to such provocation.)
And check out the view from the street.
I’m a sucker for brick buildings, even if the windows and doors are covered by gates. But the sign with a duck rather than a beaver is the jewel of the neighborhood.
Speaking of the neighborhood, the Thirsty Beaver is located in the Plaza-Midwood section of Charlotte. The area has seen a lot of gentrification in the last ten years. You might notice the high-rise building behind the Beaver—it’s actually surrounded on three sides by McPartments. I give the landlord and bar owners a lot of credit for staying committed to the neighborhood. They could easily sell out like so many other local bars and restaurants have.
Selling and Building
Our home has been on the market just shy of three weeks and we’ve had more than a dozen showings. No offers. Still, the feedback has been good, and the lack of offers is due to elements we can’t control—whether it’s the buyer wanting a different floor plan, a fenced in yard, or a master bedroom downstairs. We’re facing more competition with new and similar homes listing on MLS (Multiple Listing Service). But Hailey, our realtor, still thinks we’re competitively priced and our home offers more value than some of the others. We’ll hang tight another week.
We’re still awaiting the engineer’s approval on Groovy Ranch. We should receive a digital file with the engineer’s stamp within the week. Then we can submit it, along with final house plans from Michael, our designer, and a list of specs, to the builders.
We mentioned in Groovy Ranch Update 10 one of the builders, Terry, spoke highly of another contractor who builds accessory metal buildings with a rustic, barn-like look. I spoke with the contractor, James, and Mr. Groovy and I plan to see his showroom on our next trip. We’d like the sight of a quaint, metal building—maybe even colored red like a barn, to house our car, tractor (Mr. Groovy really wants to buy one just to see me drive it around), and a workshop for Mr. Groovy. James described the type of foundation needed for erecting the metal structure. Rather than a slab, he’d need a space dug out and filled in a few inches with sandy soil or rocks to anchor the structure to. We’ll know more after meeting with James.
I finally conquered another item that’s been on my to-do list for weeks—investigating storage facilities. I found three in the immediate area of Groovy Ranch. Two of them are fully occupied and no one is expected to be relinquishing a unit anytime soon. A third facility, which is quite larger than the other two, usually has turn-over at the end of each month. As soon as we set a moving date I’ll call to make arrangements. Should nothing be available when we need it, we can find a facility closer to the Groovy In-Laws. There are more to choose from where they live although it would be easier to store furniture closer to our new home.
Fight-O-Meter
Mr. Groovy finally had his way this week and gets a point on the Fight-O-Meter! There was no argument. I conceded right away, but he just kept on hammering me (something he accuses me of doing all the time; he’ll say “I agreed already, WHY do you keep arguing?”)
When we put our house on the market we were going through a rainy spell. Even though our listing on MLS instructs visitors to park on a nearby street from which they can easily access our front door, I was concerned they would park in our garage driveway behind our house, and trek through the mud to the back door. I discussed putting a sign out back on the garage door with Hailey reiterating where to park, and she agreed it was a good idea. There’s no street parking in front of our house at all.
One morning earlier this week, Mr. Groovy proclaimed that we should take the sign down. He said it was pointing out the fact that parking is a problem. Since one piece of feedback from a showing was that the buyer had concerns about guest parking, Mr. G thought we shouldn’t highlight the issue. I agreed to take the sign down immediately (although I didn’t exactly agree with his reasoning, but I could see his point of view). So he gets to score this week. And I’m not taking a point for winning the Lysol spray argument since there was no argument there either. He had no choice.
Rambo
Finally, I leave you with a photo of a dog named Rambo. We’ve seen Rambo and his mommy, Diana, many times in Crooked Creek Park. But this past Sunday we stopped and chatted for quite some time. Diana is a fellow native New Yorker, although she hails from Jamestown (where Lucille Ball was born), which is quite a distance from NYC or Long Island. She’s a sweetheart and we hope to get the opportunity to go for a cup of coffee with her (and a biscuit for Rambo) before we move.
Rambo is just the opposite of what you would imagine a dog with that name might be like. He’s a mush ball! When I petted him under his chin he crooked his neck and leaned in. When I continued scratching his chin, he put all his weight against me just like Groovy Cat used to do. And the craziest thing is that he likes to sleep on Diana’s pillow, behind her head. That was another of Groovy Cat’s favorite habits.
Final Thoughts
No one said selling a house would be fun. The routine gets tiresome. Fortunately, Mr. Groovy and I are not super emotional about the process. We don’t wait for the phone to ring after every showing and we take the feedback with a grain of salt. Although we’re looking forward to closing this chapter of our lives and moving up to Wake Forest, we must be patient. The right person or couple will come along. In the meantime, there are more dogs to meet in Crooked Creek Park.
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